Chapter 8 Full House

Mitchell lay on his side atop the surgical table in the infirmary. The little cubicle was cramped, curtains pulled across for privacy.

Carolyn was busy cleaning up his thigh, which luckily had been skimmed by the hairy attacker's club, rather than hit with it.

"You're lucky - you've just got one big graze there," the doctor grumbled, as she slapped a dressing on top of it, with slightly more force than was required.

"Ouch!" Mitchell retorted, looking puzzled. "What was that for?"

"For everything!" Carolyn snapped back uncharacteristically. "Why is it that SG-1 are completely unable to go on any mission whatsoever without at least one of them coming back and needing me to patch them up? It's ridiculous, Cameron! None of the other teams get into even half of the messes that you do."

She turned away, frowning.

Mitchell smiled inwardly – she'd called him by his Christian name without even realising.

"It wasn't my fault…:" he began, the equivalent of waving a red cape in front of a bull.

"It never is!" Carolyn exploded. "And you're probably half right too! All of you just seem to have an uncanny knack of drawing trouble towards yourselves! Even Jonas is in the infirmary, and he's not on the team anymore!" She took a few deep breaths to regain control.

"Anyway," Handing him a spare dressing pack, Carolyn continued. "You shouldn't have any more problems with the leg. Try not to bother me again." Her speech was clipped, face tight.

Mitchell watched her with an unusually wary look on his face as he carefully took himself off of the table.

Carolyn went to move past him.

The Colonel was having none of it, and pulled her in tight, wrapping his arms around her.

Carolyn's eyes flashed briefly with anger but Mitchell just tightened his grip and covered her mouth with his own, moving one of his hands up her back to gently grip her ponytail.

Carolyn stiffened at first but the onslaught was relentless – after just a few seconds she caved in and gave back as good as she got, arms wrapped around Mitchell's neck, head tilted back. A small sigh escaped her lips.

Mitchell groaned and pushed her away.

"Woman, you'll unman me in public one day, I swear it," he told her softly, stroking his fingers down her face.

Carolyn stood on tip toe and kissed his mouth very gently.

"Just be more careful, out there, please," she begged him. Then blushing profusely, she turned away to hide the idiotic grin spreading across her face. "Out." She ordered, trying to put her hair back into a neat pony tail.

"Let me," Mitchell said . He was wearing a similar soppy grin to hers. He began to twine his fingers into her hair again.

Carolyn yanked back the curtains. "Not a chance. I'm dishevelled enough. Out!"

The Colonel went, but not before he stole another kiss.

- o - o - o - o - o - o -

A few hours of sleep and SG-1, minus Teal'c and Redwell, but plus Jonas Quinn were seated all together on the Hammond.

"So," Mitchell tapped a pen he held against the fingers of his other hand. "We have our intel – the entire weapons factory is down in that hidden quarry. One carefully co-ordinated strike will take out the whole shebang, and deal the Alliance a proper blow."

"Of course," Sam added, "to keep the upper hand we'll have to mount permanent guards on both the Aureoque mine, and as many of the Naquadria mines as possible. Although the Kelownans' hope that by keeping better tabs on ships in their area they'll be able to monitor things closer as well. The locals on Kallios Lucem are up for assisting with guard duty, so hopefully the Alliance won't be able to pull of something like this again."

"We need to beat the Alliance this time first though, don't we?" Vala stated the obvious.

"We do." Mitchell took over again.

"How do you propose getting through the Stargate onto Lathmorna Minor, where the quarry is?" Daniel enquired, eyes widening.

Sam did a remarkable imitation of Vala's Cheshire cat grin.

"Oh, I believe we have that covered."

The archaeologist raised his eyebrows questioniingly but his friend merely shook her head.

"Wait and see. It really will be too good to miss!"

Puzzled, Daniel looked across at Jonas.

The Kelownan shrugged. "Not a clue," he told him, ruefully.

"It'll be worth it!" Mitchell jiggled the pen that he still held so fast that it was in danger of flying out of his hand and across the room. "Now, Sam and Jonas have been busy devising a way of setting off the Naquadria and Aureoques to explode simultaneously. Basically…"

"Basically," Sam cut in, smiling, "all we need is a big enough power source to hit where the Naquadria is being stored. It should create an explosion large enough to reach the Aureoques and knock out the whole quarry!"

"And there's just Alliance people down there?" Vala asked, worriedly. "No women or children?"

Sam nodded, and leaning across the table squeezed her friend's hand reassuringly.

"No women or children. Only the bad guys."

"So, when do we go?" Daniel asked.

"Now, actually," Mitchell told him, a smug grin tickling his cheeks. The Colonel couldn't wait to see the expressions on his team mates' faces when they saw what Sam's idea was. It was awesome.

"Now?" Jonas was looking puzzled too.

Vala rubbed her nose, bemused.

"Yup. Come on." Mitchell pushed away from the table and stood up. "There's a present for you all down in the 302 bay!"

The non-infirmary bound remnants of SG-1 past and present trooped, somewhat bewildered, into the area where the small fighter planes were kept.

The 302's were all in place, lined up in readiness to leave at a moments notice. The floor area below them and to their centre was clear.

"There's nothing else here," Vala said, looking around.

"Yeah, there is!" Mitchell was gleeful. "You do it Carter. It was your idea!"

Sam was close to outright laughter. She had to take a deep breath, before she managed to blurt out – "Sir?"

In front of them all a cloaked Puddlejumper from Atlantis appeared, a sardonic-looking Jack O'Neill at the controls.

"Hi kids," he waved through the windscreen at them. "Anyone fancy a trip in my little ol' spaceship?"

The looks on Daniel, Jonas and Vala's faces was beyond priceless.

"Ladies..?" Mitchell grinned, indicating the 'jumper. "Shall we?"

Vala let out a squeak and shot off up the ramp at the back of the 'jumper. "Jack!" She threw her arms around the waist of the General, who had made his way into the back of the vehicle.

Jack O'Neill raised his eyebrows and patted her shoulder awkwardly but there was a twinkle in his eyes as he looked down at her. It was no secret at the SGC that O'Neill and Daniel's fruitcake girlfriend were extremely fond of each other.

Daniel shook hands with his old friend, as did Jonas.

The Kelownan smiled widely at seeing his old CO again.

"How ya doin'?" Jack asked him. "Glad to see that you're keeping up the old SG-1 tradition of getting yourself into trouble!"

"Strictly speaking I think it was the trouble which came and found me this time," Jonas replied.

"Same thing," Jack grinned. He had moved as they were all speaking and was now stood close to Sam, who he shoulder nudged.

"Carter," he said.

"Sir," she twinkled at him.

Jack did his 'watch yourself' look - the one he'd perfected so well over his years at the SGC.

Sam relented, stood on her toes and pecked him on the cheek.

Jack tutted. "I suppose that'll have to do."

"Anyway, sir." Sam stressed his rank, still smiling. "You want to tell the others how you arrived here?"

"Love to." Jack rubbed his hands together, before indicating the seats on the Puddlejumper.

The rest of the team settled themselves comfortably.

Vala squashed in between Daniel and Jonas, grinning up at her fiance, who had to sit almost sideways so that she could fit in. He frowned at her.

Vala wrinkled her nose and paid no attention whatsoever to him.

"Well, there I was, sitting in my office in Washington," Jack began, "when a call comes through from Hank, saying something 'bout Carter yakking through a wormhole that she need's a 'jumper."

He paused and narrowed his eyes at the blonde Colonel who smiled blithely back up at him, blue eyes wide and innocent.

"Anyways, turns out that what she really wants," Jack paused and squinted at her again," is little ol' me in a Puddlejumper. Ancient gene and all that. And no doubt thinking that I'm getting bored, over in Washington."

"You were bored, admit it," Sam told him. "You spend more time out of Washington than you do in it! You can put this down in the internal audit as a field trip, anyway."

"Field trip," repeated her ex CO, deadpan. "Thank you Carter."

"So…" Daniel broke in, "you're going to fly a cloaked Puddlejumper through the Stargate to the quarry where the Alliance are making their bomb?"

"Yup." Jack rubbed his hands again. "Lucky old me."

"And how exactly do you plan on – er – causing a –."

"A big, honkin' explosion?" Jack grinned sardonically.

"Well - yes!"

Sam and Jack exchanged a knowing look.

"Cos I got me one of these," the General replied, lifting a large silver coloured box from the floor beside him, and opening it to reveal a Naquadah generator.

There was silence for a moment.

"Yup," Daniel said, eventually. "That'll do it."

- o - o - o - o - o - o -

Of course, it wasn't just Jack who was going to be in the Puddlejumper.

Sam and Jonas would be in the rear compartment and responsible for preparing the generator to reach critical overload at a given time. Once the 'jumper was in position the rear door would be opened so that the power source could be literally thrown out into the quarry, where it would cause the Naquadria to explode, also causing destruction of the Aureoques.

Mitchell was sitting shotgun with Jack – he had as much idea about flying Ancient ships as he did about knitting but there was no way he was going to miss the party.

Daniel and Vala had no real part in this mission but both of them refused to get out of the 'jumper.

"You're not my CO any longer," Daniel told Jack. "So you can't order me to get off."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Danny-boy, I can't remember the last time that you obeyed one my orders anyway!"

"Well," Vala began, thoughtfully. "I tend to think that orders are more like guidelines, really. You know – like in 'Pirates of the Caribbean'?"

"Well that's obvious." Daniel stated flatly. "You never do anything that I tell you to."

Vala narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "If – darling – if you ever order me to do something then I may consider it!"

"Hey!" Daniel frowned behind his glasses. "I frequently order you to do things, back at the SGC. You pay no attention to me whatsoever!"

"Don't feel hard done by, sunshine," Mitchell called back. "The Princess never pays attention to my orders either!"

"I do pay attention!" Vala folded her arms and sat down in a sulk, scowling. "If I think any orders which come out of your mouth are sensible, Cameron darling, then I at least think about obeying them!"

"Ack!" The interjection from Jack's corner of the Puddlejumper was unmistakeable. Everyone stopped arguing and paid attention.

"Five minutes," the General said. "Okay, Carter?"

"Yes sir," Sam nodded, performing the last few adjustments on the generator.

"Jonas?" Jack queried.

"We're done," the Kelownan affirmed.

"You two -." Jack pointed at Daniel and Vala, "you're responsible for lowering the rear door when we're in position and for assisting Carter and Jonas with the release of the device. Okay?"

"Okay," the archaeologist replied. The alien merely nodded, eyes wide.

"Then let's go."

The team settled into their seats, did up seat belts, made themselves comfortable.

Vala nudged her Daniel's foot with her toe. "I do listen to you," she whispered, apprehensively.

Daniel looked down at her, surprised at the worried little face that she showed him. He squeezed her hand gently, smiling. "I know," he told her. "I'm only teasing."

It touched him somewhere inside, how Vala could be so confident, loud and annoying one minute, then shrink back into her shell because of one careless little comment. Daniel put his arm around her shoulder.

Vala wriggled against him, snuggling in. Turning into his cuddle she swung her legs across his lap.

Jonas, sat opposite, smiled at the two of them.

Daniel shrugged, reflecting the other man's grin.

Sam rolled her eyes, and turned to smile at the back of Jack's head.

The General was pressing different buttons on what passed as the Puddlejumper's dashboard – as Sam watched several panels lit up and a screen appeared in mid-air, hovering in front of them.

"Let's rock and roll." Jack O'Neill placed his hands flat on to the controls as the little ship lifted smoothly from the floor and headed swiftly out through the hangar bay doors.

TBC...